Giles Brown
THE ERE scandal has taken a high profile turn with the investigating judge Mercedes Ayala demanding that the former premiers of Andalucia Jose Antonio Grinan and Manuel Chaves should be named as suspects in her investigation.
Judge Mercedes Ayala indicated that there were grounds for Grinan and Chaves to be formally implicated in her probe into alleged fraud committed in a fund set up with public money to help struggling companies to lay off workers.
As elected holders of public office, Grinan and Chaves both enjoy parliamentary immunity and it would be up to the Supreme Court to initiate proceedings against them if they declined to forego that immunity.
Judge Ayala also produced a list of five former commissioners in the Andalusian government, who are also entitled to parliamentary immunity. They were Carmen Martinez Aguayo (former head of the treasury), Antonio Avila (former head of finance), Francisco Vallejo (former head of innovation), Jose Antonio Viera (former head of employment) and Manuel Recio (former head of employment).
Judge Alaya issued the court order at the same time that the new Andalusian president, Susana Diaz, was overseeing the swearing in of her new regional councilors. In an interview in El Pais Daiz comemented “Corruption embarrasses me, no matter what you call it — ERE, Gurtel or Barcenas. Two years ago, when I was secretary of the PSOE in Andalusia, I apologized for the ERE case because it caused me pain and I was embarrassed by it”.
The judicial sources said the anti-corruption prosecutor has decided to question the writ because the arguments it uses are not well founded and could leave those affected defenseless.
The writ issued by Judge Ayala’s investigation estimates the extent of the alleged fraud committed over the course of a decade at €136 million euros. Grinan and his predecessor Chaves were in office when the alleged fraud took place. Chaves commented last week that he felt ‘defenseless’ and that he thought the judge’s order ‘gratuitous and unnecessary’.
No more parliamentary immunity.
Immunity sounds just like the perfect prerequisite to corruption. Quite hilarious that the new self-declared “open” leader of the Junta won’t even make a comment, nor discuss the matter. Nothing changes at the Junta. Spain will never change.
Fred – wait for the ‘everything in Spain is wonderful’ brigade to appear and attack you – they are of course the real trolls.
Luckily Stuart, I am immune lol.
Two peas in a pod…how surprising. The “everything that is Spain is horrid crew” talking about trolls well isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black.
I’ll wait for the personal slam to ensue…1, 2, 3.. LOL!not
Christine, who said everything is horrid? I suppose you hold Grinan and Chaves in high esteem then?
Lol! your funny Fred, I will let my comment speak for itself.
Enjoy your evening.
We’ll take that as a no then lol.
Fred,
you have to remember that Christine is an American – if you thought that the greed of UK politicians was deplorable, or even worse the Spanish ones, neither can hold a candle to their counterparts in the US. That’s why Christine does’nt comment on the article but makes snidy attacks on you and me.
So brainwashed are the ordinary Americans that their politicians make no attempt to hide their corrupt practices. So blatant is this that they can openly kill a universal right to health treatment and that this is supported by the vast majority. In America this represents COMMUNISM.
This is nothing new – whilst visiting Paris as an 18 year old I was accosted by a young American (first generation Italian/American) with his Italian parents who said ” you Brits have a Communist healthcare system” to which I replied “and my mother visiting Miami watched as a man was left to die on the street because he carried no insurance papers on him and had to wait until a mercy ambulance arrived too late, we don’t allow this to happen anywhere in Europe, this would’nt have happened even in Hitler’s Germany” – he went bright red, whilst his parents were obviously embarrassed at their son’s words, they were after all Europeans.
I well remember my mother telling me how shocked she was at the time.
I have an American friend who lives in Florida and a few years ago, just after Obama was elected who referred to him as ‘an Islamic Marxist’ – it would be hilarious if he was joking but he was’nt and sadly that just shows how brainwashed ordinary Americans are by the elite that controls them from the cradle to the grave.
State Healthcare = Communism
Guns, especially assault rifles are good.
If you are poor it’s your own fault.
A justice system that is so racist and corrupt you would not believe.
A vast prison system that was created to make handsome profits for private companies (exposed by CNN).
The hugely expensive spying system NSA/Homeland Security that first and foremost is used to spy on the chumps who pay for it all and to steal commercial secrets form friendly States, whilst accusing other States of this practice.
That’s why it’s important to know where posters come from when making comments aka to give their comments context.
Right up Fred Stuart today eh?
Oh Stuart, your comment about me being American suggest what? (might I add this isn’t the first time you made such a swipe when you found out I was an American) Is that saying that all people named Stuart are complete @*@(@. Newsflash the United States is a big place and not all thoughts are collective ones.
So go ahead with your rant about how you know everything there is to know about what an American is and is not or what ever you choose to rant about this day.
I believe these were your words on the article subject matter….
Fred – wait for the ‘everything in Spain is wonderful’ brigade to appear and attack you – they are of course the real trolls.
and I commented on the fact that you two always seem to take up the everything is horrid mantle on every subject matter and then attack those that do not, so a dose of your own medicine didn’t go down as well as you thought. GOOD
I don’t believe the nothing will change attitude and I am open to listening to the new President, Ms. Diaz(her words and not a translated English slant) instead of slamming her from the gate. Yes, we do have a corruption problem and from the early signs it looks like she is committed to making a stance;that is a change I am willing to believe in.
Christine, I have my own pod, thank you. Don’t lump me in with other commenatators, who all have widely differing opinions. I am not a Spain hater, I am a Spain realist. Let us see how Ms Diaz gets on.
Fair enough Fred
No denials about the state of America – do you also think that Obama is an Islamic Marxist – it would be nice to know.
The Islamic hardliners believe totally in ‘the Caliphate’ (do you even know what I am talking about) and Marxists (the real ones) abhor the cult of personality – so any American who refers to Obama in these terms has serious mental health problems. Your gun culture is a manifestation of a really sick dysfunctional society – what are you personally doing to bring about a change or do you support this craziness as well.
I do not agree with hunting animals with guns, it’s a nasty cowardly pastime but their are hundreds of thousands of gun licences issued in Spain but I have yet to read of one single Spaniard that goes on a killing spree – can’t say the same about the USA can you.
The politicians always say that a problem needs a political solution – no these selfsame scumbags are the problem.
A very stupid Japanese/American wrote a book called the ‘End of History’ we are all the result of history – would’nt it be nice if he had written a book called ‘The End of Politics and the Beginning of Reality’ -now there’s a thought.
What the hell does your rant have to do with the article? To me it seems like you have a real problem with Americans because you know ALL of them, fine don’t ever go. I’m sure everyone will hold their breath. Hey, why your at it give Spain the final heave-ho too since you obviously despise its ways as well.
Not that it is any of your business but I campaigned for our President and I’m a proud Democrat. Sorry not from Texas as you tried to label me before and get this Mr. know-it all not only am I a proud educated Democrat but a proud African American Women Democrat who believes in critical thinking and not just shooting off at the mouth because my beliefs need to be holier than thou. I am done giving you any more energy than you rightly deserve.
My apologies to Fred, we may not agree but forgive me for ever associating you with this “I will be nice” man.
What a patronising bigot you are Stuart.